ASHLAND, Va.—The Hobart football team pushed No. 8 Randolph-Macon to overtime and even had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation, but fell 14-7 this afternoon.
With the game tied at 7 and just over a minute remaining in regulation, Hobart took over at its own 36. In six plays, the Statesmen moved to the Yellow Jackets 17 and line up for a 34-yard field goal attempt with two seconds remaining. Unfortunately, the kick was pulled wide left, necessitating overtime.
In OT, Randolph-Macon had the ball first. The home team faced a fourth-and-2 from the 17 and opted to go for it. The gamble paid off as senior quarterback Dante Casciola connected with junior tight end Landon Farriss for a 17-yard touchdown.
On Hobart's ensuing possession, the Statesmen faced a similar fourth-and-short scenario and had to go for it. Senior quarterback
Johnny Colombi gained 3 yards on a draw up the middle, but had the ball ripped out of his grasp by sophomore safety Quentin Mankin, ending the game.
Bottled Up
The Hobart defense limited Randolph-Macon to just 203 yards of total offense, 66 rushing and 137 passing.
- It's the fewest yards of total offense by RMC since Nov. 24, 2018 (98 vs. Muhlenberg).
- It's the fewest rushing yards by RMC since Nov. 24, 2018 (21).
- It's the fewest passing yards by RMC since Oct. 30, 2021 (89 vs. Shenandoah).
Senior linebacker
Anthony Romano led the Statesmen with 10 tackles, including 1.5 for loss and half a sack. Sophomore linebacker
Mike McGhee added seven stops, including a sack. Sophomore defensive back
Zeshan Dixon added an interception and first-year defensive tackle
Billy Brosko forced a fumble.
Hobart Takes The Lead
The Statesmen opened the day's scoring early in the second quarter. Hobart punted, but the Yellow Jackets muffed the kick and Dixon recovered at the RMC 37. On first down, Colombi hit first-year wide receiver
Owen Preskar for 18 yards. Two plays later, Colombi found junior wide receiver
Ahmad Crowell on a corner route for a touchdown.
Immediate Answer
On its ensuing possession, Randolph-Macon used eight plays to go 75 yards, tying the game on a 31-yard pass from Casciola to junior wide receiver Jason Moore.
Goal Line Stand
RMC had a prime chance to take the lead in the third quarter. The Yellow Jackets had four shots from the Hobart 10 and in, but came away empty. Junior defensive lineman
Nick Provenzano stuffed RMC on fourth-and-goal from the 1 to keep the game knotted at 7.
Hobart's Leaders
Randolph-Macon's Leaders
- Passing: Casciola 16-21-1, 137 yds, 2 TD
- Rushing: Kwesi Clarke 13-28
- Receiving: Farriss 6-47, TD; Moore 4-53, TD
For The Record
- Hobart suffered its first loss to slip to 1-1.
- Randolph-Macon extended its regular season winning streak to 28 games, improving to 2-0 this season.
Headed Home
- Hobart will return to the friendly confines of Urick Stadium to host Moravian (1-1) Saturday, Sept. 21. Kickoff on Boswell Field is scheduled for 1 p.m. It will be the first gridiron meeting between the two teams.
